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PhD Research Fellow in Science and Technology Studies

Deadline: 16.08.2020

Job description

Universitetet i Oslo

The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest ranked educational and research institution, with 28 000 students and 7000 employees. With its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally recognised research communities, UiO is an important contributor to society.


TIK Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture is a cross disciplinary unit at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Oslo. TIK is home to 40 staff members working in research, education and research communication in innovation and science and technology studies (STS). A major part of TIK’s activity is externally funded research. TIK also offers postgraduate education; a PhD-programme and two Master programmes. The Centre also hosts OSIRIS - Oslo Institute for Research on the Impact.

A PhD position is available for 3 years at the TIK Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture. The position is associated with the interdisciplinary project ‘Urban Transformation in a Warming Arctic: The Continued Effects of Nordic Colonialism on Urban Planning and Development’ (UrbTrans). The project is funded by the Tromsø Research Foundation and the Research Council Norway, and is led by Principal Investigator Tone Huse.

The project

‘The Arctic is burning, and Greenland is melting’, the popular science magazine ScienceNews.org stated after the record-warm month of July 2019. Wildfires ravaged and attention was once again turned to the pronounced effects of climate change in the Arctic. This development is also what sets the stage for UrbTrans, which is a radically interdisciplinary project that will analyse how the citizens and authorities of Greenland’s capital city, Nuuk, respond to the challenges and opportunities of a warming Arctic. UrbTrans will further work to expand the temporal scope of Arctic studies, towards understanding not only the dramatic shifts of the present, but also how Nuuk’s colonial past is activated in and affects ongoing transformation processes. This will entail close engagement with questions regarding the character and continued effects of Nordic colonialism, as well as innovative methodological work to span the traditional divides of the humanities and the social sciences.

UrbTrans builds on Science and technology Studies (STS), but will also be in close conversation with a diverse set of research fields and disciplines, ranging from Arctic-, postcolonial-, and indigenous studies, to architecture, geography and history. The project will further combine the methods of archival studies, document analysis and ethnography, thus engaging simultaneously with studies of the past and of the present. The PhD Fellow will carry out independent research that relies mainly on archival studies and document analysis, but will also be encouraged to engage collaboratively in research activities that span these methods.

The position

The successful candidate will be registered at the PhD programme at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Oslo.

In addition to the PhD candidate to be employed at UiO, the UrbTrans research group will consist of two PhD Fellows, one Postdoctoral Fellows and the PI. These other members of the research group will have their daily workplace at Campus Tromsø, UiT The Arctic University of Norway. The appointed PhD Fellow will have her/his daily workplace at TIK Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture, UiO, but will be expected to participate in collaborative research activities at UiT and in Nuuk. This will involve collaborations with national and international partners, including curators and artists as well as scholars, common fieldwork, co-organised seminars, and the production of an exhibition. The applicant will furthermore be expected to take responsibility for research tasks specified under Work Package 1 in the UrbTrans project description.

Qualification requirements

Applicants must hold a two years Master’s degree or equivalent and meet the formal requirements to be enrolled in the PhD programme.

UrbTrans is interdisciplinary in nature, which means that the PhD can come from a range of fields in social sciences and humanities, including but not limited to science and technology studies (STS), history, social anthropology, human geography, and sociology.

In addition:

  • Fluent oral and written communication skills in English, and good knowledge of a Scandinavian language, preferably Norwegian, is a requirement.
  • Demonstrated research capabilities and experience is an advantage.
  • Knowledge of and experience with ethnographic methods and/or document analysis is an advantage.
  • An interest in and prior knowledge of the field of science and technology studies (STS) is an advantage.

We offer

  • Salary NOK 479 600 - 523 200 per annum, depending on qualifications
  • An academically stimulating working environment
  • Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement, in addition to Oslo’s family-friendly environment with its rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

How to apply

The application must include

  • Application letter (including statement of motivation for the position, max 2 pages).
  • Project description (demonstrating the candidate’s research interests and how they relate to the topic and requirements of the PhD project, 5-10 pages). A short version of the UrbTrans project application is available on request. Guidelines for your project description can be found on this web site.
  • CV (summarising education, positions and academic work, including scientific publications).
  • Copies of educational certificates (academic transcripts only).
  • List of publications and academic work (if applicable).
  • Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and phone number).

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system, please follow the link “Apply for this job”. Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their University's grading system. Please note that all documents should be in English (or a Scandinavian language).

Evaluation of the applicants

In the evaluation of the applications, emphasis will be placed on:

  • The project’s scientific merit, research-related relevance and innovation.
  • The applicant's estimated academic and personal ability to complete the project within the time frame and contribute to UrbTrans.
  • Relevance of the candidates with respect to the criteria listed under qualification requirements above.
  • Good collaboration skills and an ability to join interdisciplinary academic communities.

Short-listed applicants will be invited to an interview.

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Research Fellowships at the University of Oslo.

No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo.

According to the Norwegian Freedom of Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

The appointment may be shortened/given a more limited scope within the framework of the applicable guidelines on account of any previous employment in academic positions.

The University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results etc.

Contact information

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